Stari Grad lies at the end of a sheltered bay on the island of Hvar. Its waterfront and older lanes are a good introduction to the town, but its most distinctive historical setting extends inland. The nearby Stari Grad Plain is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape where agricultural plots and dry-stone boundaries preserve a pattern laid out by Greek colonists from Paros in the fourth century BCE. Grapes and olives have continued to be cultivated in this landscape over many centuries.
The town and the plain
Spend time around the harbour before heading into the streets behind it. One of the town’s best-known landmarks is Tvrdalj, the fortified residence of Renaissance writer Petar Hektorović. Its fishpond and enclosed garden make it more personal than a grand palace and link the town to a later chapter of Hvar’s cultural history.
The World Heritage designation applies to the plain, not to every building in the town. Looking at the fields, tracks and stone walls makes the ancient land division easier to grasp than a description alone. This is also a living agricultural area, so keep to appropriate routes and respect working land.
Planning a visit
Stari Grad rewards a combination of an unhurried town walk and time in the surrounding landscape. Check access to Tvrdalj and local routes before travelling. The UNESCO record explains the protected plain, and the local tourist board describes Tvrdalj.